


Of Fire

by MistressArafax



Series: The King's Mages [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Mages, Training
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-29 03:31:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21132464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressArafax/pseuds/MistressArafax
Summary: In a mystical world where mages wield the power of nature, Jounouchi strives to become a mage of the king. He just needs some fine tuning, and Kaiba is assigned to help him.





	Of Fire

“Jounouchi, you’re doing it wrong.”

Jounouchi scowled at Kaiba, feeling defeated. They’d been practicing the entire day, Kaiba insistent that he needed to control his flames better if he stood any chance of receiving the council's blessing to become a full-fledged mage. “You can’t serve His Majesty if there’s a chance your power will get out of control,” he’d reprimanded severely.

“I’m tryin’,” he griped back. “It ain’t easy tryin’ to just light the one candle.”

Kaiba crossed his arms over his chest, irritation on his face. “I will not stand for my pupil to be lacking. You will do this until you get it right.”

Jounouchi snapped his fingers, lighting a flame on the top of Kaiba’s head, his hair catching fire. Without even flinching, Kaiba extinguished it, drawing water from the air around him to douse the flame. “Use that precision on the candles, idiot.”

“Yeah, yeah. Easier to focus on you since you're pissin’ me off.”

Kaiba's eldest Blue-Eyed dragon snorted from behind them, seeming amused. Her white scales glistened, reflecting the blue of the sky as she sunbathed. “It’s not funny, Kisara,” Kaiba said without looking at her, but she didn’t seem to care, flapping her wings, before shaking herself out and settling down in the clearing once more. “I need you to concentrate, Jounouchi. There are other lessons to teach you that require precise control. You can’t just incinerate everything in your path.”

“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that,” Jounouchi said cockily.

“Except when you need to target one enemy amongst your allies with precision.”

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. “I don’t know why I got partnered with you as an instructor. Our abilities aren’t even remotely the same.”

“I am not privy to all of the choices His Majesty makes."

"You're his cousin, and you're one of his advisors. Ya shoulda had a say since ya hate me just as much."

Kaiba huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Enough. Ignite the candle so we can end this ordeal as quickly as possible."

Grumbling, Jounouchi returned his focus to the candles in the distance, stretching his hands out and letting the fire wick in his belly. He closed his eyes, imagining the heat trickling from him to the middle candle, a tendril of fire he could only see behind his closed eyelids.

"Good," Kaiba said, breaking his concentration.

Jounouchi peaked open an eye, seeing the middle candle burning from across the clearing. "Yes!" he cried out in victory.

"It takes focus, Jounouchi, which you are able to do when you put your mind to it. You need to spend more time meditating."

Jounouchi frowned. "God, I hate meditatin'."

"If you want to maximize your abilities, you must. It's not as though I want you to fail."

"Coulda fooled me," Jounouchi said bitterly. "With how ya treated me during our formal trainin'."

"You're still a nobody," Kaiba said with a shrug. "But you're a nobody who also happens to be one of the strongest fire mages I've ever seen. His Majesty befriended you and wants me to help hone your skills."

Jounouchi scoffed. "I'm already skilled."

"You can't rely on raw power alone. Which you do. Our enemies want you to burn yourself out. You would quickly cease to be any kind of threat and turn yourself into an easy target."

Jounouchi glared at Kaiba, but he didn't argue. It was exactly what his instructors had harped on. His energy, his magic wasn't infinite. The key wasn't to overpower his opponents but to out smart them. Play to his own strengths and capitalize on their weaknesses. He  _ knew _ that. It was just hard to put it into practice. He knew that was the reason he was working with Kaiba, a strategic genius. Kaiba was powerful, as well, strong enough that he'd advanced from water mage to ice mage, which was impressive for someone only a year into adulthood.

They stood in silence for several seconds before Jounouchi sighed. "I guess you're right. What's the next exercise, masteri?"

Kaiba raised an eyebrow, devilish smirk on his face. “You’re either going to do this right, or you’re going home naked.”

Without further explanation, Kaiba had frozen Jounouchi in a block of ice. 

_ Ass, _ Jounouchi thought to himself.  _ This is impossible. _

"It's a challenge. It won't be easy, but it's certainly possible. You'll just have to keep your flames under control as you melt your way out.”

Jounouchi could barely hear him through the ice. He let the fire burn inside of him, feeling himself get more and more room in his icy cell as it melted. Feeling impatient and unable to breath, he fanned his flames hotter, redder, melting the ice rapidly. His clothing was soaking wet, and he felt disgusting. He hated being wet. It reminded him of a time before he’d discovered his magic, trying to stay out of the rain when his father wouldn’t allow him to come inside at night. Cold and soaking wet.

Angry at the unbidden memory, he clenched his fists, increasing the power he was pouring out.

“Careful, Jounouchi,” Kaiba warned.

It was too late though, fire erupted from Jounouchi, engulfing him in flames. His clothing incinerated instantly, and he stood in the clearing, burning the swath of grass around him. He was too angry to rein himself in, burning with rage, and even Kaiba’s half-hearted attempt to extinguish him with water didn’t work. He was burning so hot that the water evaporated in a puff of steam. A nearly impenetrable wall of fire.

“Control your emotions,” Kaiba barked at him.

Jounouchi launched a fireball at him, irritated. How dare the prick try to boss him around. “I don’t gotta do what you say,” he taunted in return. “I’m in charge of me.”

Kaiba sighed, holding out his hands, chanting to himself. Jounouchi realized that Kisara had moved, lurching closer to Kaiba and assuming a protective stance. What he wouldn’t give for a dragon of his own...

He didn’t have time to think about it. Water dumped on top of him, frigid and cold and dousing the flames. Steam poured from his skin, creating a fog where ice met fire. Realizing he was naked like Kaiba had threatened, Jounouchi covered himself, embarrassed.

"You're a fool, Jounouchi. Letting your emotions run unchecked like that."

"Better than bein' an ice cold prick like you," Jounouchi spat in return.

Kaiba sighed heavily, crossing his arms and allowing himself to get lost in thought for a moment. "What happened for you to lose control like that?"

A flush stained his cheeks, and he fidgeted in discomfort. "Nothin'."

Kaiba stepped closer, and Jounouchi felt ashamed for losing control. For standing in front of Kaiba naked. "It was clearly something, so stop lying. What happened?"

Hanging his head in defeat, he admitted, "When I was a boy, my pa regularly kicked me outta the house. So I got to wander around the streets in the cold and rain with nowhere to go. I got angry cuz bein' frozen in ice reminded me of all that shit."

With a single nod, Kaiba agreed, turning around and marching toward his dragon. He spoke to her softly, and she settled back into the clearing. He was gone for a few minutes before returning. He carried dry clothing in his hands. "My father often beat me. I was never going to be first in line to the throne, as His Majesty is older than me, but my father treated me as though I was. My lessons were rigorous, and the punishment for not doing then flawlessly was severe." He said nothing else, thrusting the clothes into Jounouchi's hands.

"I… wonder if that's why he put us together. Yuugi'd know about our similar pasts."

Kaiba grimaced. "You should call him by his title."

"What? 'King Yuugi'?"

"No. His Majesty."

Jounouchi shrugged. "We were friends before he got the title. I ain't changin' it up just 'cause he's king now." Jounouchi set to pulling on Kaiba's trousers. They were too long for him, but they'd do until he could retrieve his own replacements.

"You will be in his service soon. A loyal and faithful servant. You should use the correct title out of respect."

"Ehhh, if Yuugi don't mind, I ain't changin' it up." Jounouchi frowned as he pulled on Kaiba's shirt, which was also too long for him.

"The court will mind," Kaiba reminded. "I do, as well."

Fully dressed in Kaiba's dry clothes, he stuck his tongue out defiantly. "That's your problem then."

Kaiba's expression twisted sourly, and Jounouchi knew he was about to say something cruel. He'd call Jounouchi useless, idiotic, low-class, or a waste of oxygen, just like he'd said many times before. Kaiba's mouth opened, but he seemed to think better of it, snapping it closed immediately. He let out a hard breath, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "I suppose I'll need to teach you some decorum. Being a full-fledged mage comes with certain expectations, and so far, you've been lacking. Did you not pay attention to any of our etiquette training?"

"Nah. It was boring," Jounouchi returned with a shrug.

"Then I have a lot more to teach you," Kaiba said with a sigh.

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "Oh good. Just what I wanted," he said sarcastically.

"I'm not pleased about it either. I'm stuck with you until you've reached your fullest potential. Now… get back to training," Kaiba instructed. "Light only the outside candles this time. When you can do that, we'll try something more advanced. And don't you dare burn my clothing."

Jounouchi grinned deviously, but he turned back to what he had been tasked. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he would be done with his private lessons with Kaiba.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the start of something new, but I'm going to do it as a collection. Stay turned for more!
> 
> Originally written for KaiJou Week 2019 to celebrate Kaiba's birthday. Prompt is fantasy AU.


End file.
